Portable vertical boring machine

Abstract

A vertical boring machine is for boring or facing a circular region of a component having a central axis and includes a horizontal support for supporting the component with the central axis extending in a vertical direction. A tool support is disposed for rotation at the central axis to extend in said vertical direction. The tool support includes a tool head extending radially outwardly of the central axis which is configured for controlled radial movement and for controlled axial movement. The vertical boring machine preferably includes a mechanism for selectively moving the base of the tool support in an X direction and in a Y direction relative to the horizontal support aligning the tool support with the central axis. The X direction and Y direction are in a horizontal plane and perpendicular to each other. The tool support can be maintained in a fixed position relative to the horizontal support, after the aligning of the tool support with the central axis, to secure the tool support at the central axis during the boring or facing of the component. There is included a method of boring or facing a circular region of a component having a central axis by supporting the component horizontally and rotating a tool support disposed at the central axis.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A vertical boring machine for boring or facing a circular region of a component having a central axis comprising: horizontal support means for supporting the component with the central axis extending in a vertical direction;   tool support means for being disposed at the central axis to extend in said vertical direction;   means for rotating said tool support means about the central axis;   said tool support means including a tool head extending radially outwardly of the central axis;   said tool support means having tool head movement means for controlled radial movement of said tool head and for controlled axial movement of said tool head in said vertical direction;   said horizontal support means including a center support; and   said tool support means being mounted on said center support for relative rotation therebetween.   
     
     
       2. The vertical boring machine according to claim 1, wherein said horizontal support means includes a plurality of radially extending leg elements, each of said radially extending leg elements has an upper surface, said each radially extending leg element is removably secured to said center support, and said radially extending leg elements include means for securing the component to said upper surfaces thereof. 
     
     
       3. The vertical boring machine according to claim 2, wherein said center support and each of said radially extending leg elements include adjustable feet elements for positioning of said upper surfaces in a horizontal plane and the central axis in said vertical direction which is perpendicular to said horizontal plane. 
     
     
       4. The vertical boring machine according to claim 1, further including a tool support base, wherein said tool support means is mounted for rotation about said tool support base, said means for rotating said tool support means is secured to and supported by said tool support base, and said tool support base is mounted on said center support. 
     
     
       5. The vertical boring machine according to claim 4, further including means for selectively moving said tool support base in an X direction and in a Y direction relative to said center support, wherein said X direction and said Y direction are in a horizontal plane and at an angle with respect to each other and said means for selectively moving said tool support base is for aligning said tool support means with the central axis. 
     
     
       6. The vertical boring machine according to claim 5, further including means for maintaining said tool support base in a fixed position relative to said center support after the aligning of said tool support base with the central axis to secure said tool support means at the central axis during the boring or facing of the component. 
     
     
       7. The vertical boring machine according to claim 5, wherein said tool support base includes lower surface means, said center support includes upper surface means, and said lower surface means and upper surface means include at least one region of sliding contact therebetween when said tool support base is mounted on said center support. 
     
     
       8. The vertical boring machine according to claim 7, wherein said at least one region of said sliding contact between said lower surface means and said upper surface means extends in a common plane which is parallel to said horizontal plane. 
     
     
       9. The vertical boring machine according to claim 8, wherein said upper surface means includes an upper horizontal surface and said lower surface means includes a lower horizontal surface. 
     
     
       10. The vertical boring machine according to claim 9, wherein said means for selectively moving said tool support base includes at least one first groove in said upper horizontal surface which extends in said X direction and at least one second groove in said lower horizontal surface which extends in said Y direction, at least a portion of said first groove being generally aligned with said second groove, at least one X-Y guide member extending into said first groove and said second groove, and said at least one X-Y guide member having a lower portion disposed in and for sliding along said first groove and an upper portion disposed in and for sliding along said second groove. 
     
     
       11. The vertical boring machine according to claim 10, further including locking means for selectively maintaining said lower horizontal surface in a fixed position on said upper horizontal surface after the aligning of said tool support base with the central axis, wherein said second groove is T-shaped, said upper portion of said X-Y guide member includes an enlarged upper region for sliding, interlocking disposition within said second groove, said locking means includes means for applying a force to said X-Y guide member in a downward direction to cause said enlarged upper region within said second groove to produce frictional contact between said upper horizontal surface and said lower horizontal surface. 
     
     
       12. The vertical boring machine according to claim 10, wherein said means for selectively moving said tool support base includes a plurality of said X-Y guide members, a plurality of said first grooves and a plurality of said second grooves, each of said first grooves is generally aligned with a corresponding said second groove, and each of said X-Y guide members respectively extends into said each first groove and said corresponding second groove. 
     
     
       13. The vertical boring machine according to claim 12, wherein said plurality of said first grooves and said plurality of said second grooves are evenly spaced about said tool support means. 
     
     
       14. The vertical boring machine according to claim 13, wherein said plurality of said first grooves, said plurality of said second grooves, and said plurality of said X-Y guide members are substantially confined between said tool support base and said center support as said at least one region of said sliding contact of said lower horizontal surface and upper horizontal surface completely encircles said first grooves, said second grooves and said X-Y guide members. 
     
     
       15. The vertical boring machine according to claim 5, wherein said means for selectively moving said tool support base includes an X-adjustment means and a Y-adjustment means, said X-adjustment means including first adjustable coupling means between said center support and said tool support base for varying a relative distance therebetween in said X direction and said Y-adjustment means including second adjustable coupling means between said center support and said tool support base for varying a relative distance therebetween in said Y direction. 
     
     
       16. The vertical boring machine according to claim 15, wherein said first adjustable coupling means includes a rotatable screw element extending in said X direction and supported by said center support, a nut element supported by said tool support base, said rotatable screw element being operably engaged with said nut element, and means for rotating said rotatable screw element to produce movement of said nut element in said X direction. 
     
     
       17. The vertical boring machine according to claim 16, wherein said nut element is supported by said tool support base to allow relative movement therebetween in said Y direction. 
     
     
       18. A method of boring or facing a circular region of a component having a central axis, said method comprising the steps of: supporting the component in a fixed position in a horizontal plane with the central axis extending in a vertical direction;   disposing a tool support means at the central axis to extend in said vertical direction with a tool head of said tool support means extending radially outwardly of the central axis;   rotating said tool support means about the central axis;   selectively moving said tool head in a radial direction and in an axial direction relative to the central axis to produce the boring or facing of the circular region; and   said disposing said tool support means including selectively moving said tool support means, relative to the component in said fixed position, in an X direction and in a Y direction which are parallel with said horizontal plane and at an angle with respect to each other.